Travis Rice signs with Toyota

Travis Rice signs with Toyota

Moving beyond board sponsors

When celebrities like Justin Timberlake and Owen Wilson show up to your movie premiere, you know you’re in a different realm than the average pro snowboarder. And at the level that Travis Rice has reached after his leading role in films like The Art Of Flight, which drew JT and Wilson, there are opportunities rarely found in board world. Today, Travis moved beyond his traditional action sports sponsors—Lib Tech, Quiksilver, Red Bull, Asymbol, Union, and DC—with the announcement that he just signed a deal with Toyota.

Asked about how it all came together Travis said, “It was this strange mutual thing. It was kind of like our hands met in space and clasped around each other’s wrists and didn’t come apart.”

Travis testing out the 2014 4Runner. Photo: Chris Burkard

Really, the partnership comes as Toyota is launching its redesigned 2014 4Runner and Travis and Brain Farm Cinema are ramping up for the sequel to The Art Of Flight (rumor is a few preliminary shoots went down already last spring).

“We put a lot of abuse on vehicles, driving the Trans-Canada highway up to Alaska,” Travis said. “Our trailer, when we’re pulling four sleds with gear, comes in at 9,000 pounds. It’s a pretty brutal road and I think we’ve driven it three times now with that trailer and the same truck. It was a really easy fit when we started talking about a deal with Toyota. Myself and Brain Farm, we’re already Toyota users ’cause we feel it’s a superior vehicle. It’s just a great natural partnership.”

Travis with his winter setup. Photo: Scott Serfas

Creating films like Brain Farm’s The Art Of Flight and That’s It That’s All takes a ton of support, which the Toyota deal also brings to the table. To be able to make the highest-level movies and to throw out demands like “Then let’s go get tons of fuel and go here!” as Brain Farm director Curt Morgan famously did in The Art Of Flight means serious backing.

“They’re basically supporting us to keep it wild,” Travis said.

The partnership also brings more exposure for Travis who will be part of the launch campaign for the 2014 4Runner, along with off-road driver Andy Bell.